Windshield cleaner



Nov; 2, 1926. ,605,137

J. A. NORDIN ET AL WINDSHIELD CLEANER Filed Jan. 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l muy Nov. 2 1926.

J. A. NORDIN ET AL WINDSHIELD CLEANER Filed Jan. 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PAT-ENT OFFICE.

JOHN a. NonmN Nn :man maar, or mNNnAroLrs, mNNnsou. wmnsmnn cLnaNna.

Application led January 2, 1923. Serial No. 610,118.

Our invention relates to wind shield cleaners of the wiper type, and has for its object to cooperatively associate a heating element with a wind shield cleaner so that it will heat the surface of a wind shield engage by the cleaner.

During certain kinds of weather, wind shield cleaners now in use are not effective, for the reason that rain, sleet and snow will freeze thereon and the wiper will simply pass over lthe mass without removing the same. At other times steam, moisture or frost will accumulate on a wind shield and it is practically impossible to keep it suiciently clear to give a distinct view.

By the use of our invention, suiii'clent heat may be applied to a certain portion of a wind shield to prevent rain, sleet or snow from freezing thereon before the same can be removed by the cooperating wiper. Th1s heater will also prevent the accumulation of steam, moisture or frost on the heatedarea of the wind shield.`

To the above end, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

`In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fra entary inside elevation of a wind shield aving the invention applied thereto, with the wipe;` shown in different positions by means of broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a detail view princi' ally in section taken on the line 4-4 of ig., 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a View in diagram showing one means of automatically operating the wind shield cleaner; 1

Fig. 6 is a view partly in elevation and artly in section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale g.

ig. 7 is a detail viewl rmcpally 1n section taken on the line 7- of ig. 1, on an V enlarged scale; v

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the heating element and its holder;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detailview of the"- -blade are provided with heating element, holder and (carrier arm therefor;

Fig. 10 is a detail view with some parts sectioned on the line 10-10 of Fi 6;

Flg. 11 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing different means for operating the wind shield cleaner;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary detail View with some parts sectioned on the line 12-12 of Fig. 11; and I ig. 13 is a wiring diagram.

The parts of an automobile to be noted are the engine casing 14, engine shaft 15, pro eller shaft 16, universal joint 17, wind shie d frame 18 and wind shield glass 19.

The numerals 2O and 21 indicate, respectively, an outer carrier arm and an inner carrier arm which extend on the same radial line from a short horizontal rock shaft 22 mounted in aligned bore-like seats 23 formed inthe top member of the frame 18. These carrier arms 20 and 21-are adjustably` Secured to the rock shaft 22 by forming, on one of their ends, hubs 24 and 25, v respectively, through which said shaft projects, and are adjustably secured thereto by set screws 26 and 27, respectively, which have screwthreaded engagement with said carrier arms. The carrier arms 20 and 21 are positioned on opposite surfaces of the glass 19 and are moved by rocking theshaft 22 parallel tothe plane of saidglass. I

A rubber wiper blade 28 is mounted in a longitudinally extended channel 29 formed in the carrier arm 20 for wiping contact with the outer surface of the glass 19 and is yieldingly pressed thereagainst by a spring 30. his spring 30 is in the form of a bow, the intermediate ortion of which bears against the inner edge of the wiper blade 28, and the ends of sa1d spring are engaged by a pair of pressure screws 31, which have screw-threaded engagement with bossed openings in the back of the carrier arm 20. By adjusting the screws 31, the

wiper blade 28 may be caused to engage the respective` surface of the glass 19 with a variable pressure. To prevent the wiper blade 28 from drop in out of the slot 29 before the wind shlel to a wind shield, the ends of said wi er lugs 32 arrangedp to engage lugs 33 on the carrier arm 20 and which 1u 33 extend into the channel 29. In applylng the wiper blade 28 in the chancleaner is applied iol vnel 2 9 orremoving the same therefrom, said wiper blade'can be Slightly bent or bowed to cause its lugs 32 to pass the lugs 33. The

,gaged bythe wiper blade 28, a

carrier arm may be axially adjusted on the shaft 22 by loosening the set screw 26 toproperly position the wiper blade 28. 1n respect to the glass 19, so that the spring -30 will be active.

To heat the surface of the 19 elneatmg e ement' 34 1s mounted on a blade-like holder 35, which, in turn, issecured to the carrier 28 and is secured, at its ends, by c ips 38 to the carrier arm 21. Said carrier arm is longitudinally divided and the sections thereof connected by nut-equipped bolts 39 v and the clips 38 extend between said sections and are erforated to receive the bolts 39 and thereli secure the clips 38 to the carrier arm 21. v thin material and so arranged as to compensate for contraction land expansion The ends of the heating element 34 are connected to a battery 40 b lead wires 41 and 42, in the former of w ich is interposed controlling switch 43. Integrally formed with the carrier arm 21 is a pair of divergi winglike deilectors 44 between which t e eating element 34 extends. The holder 35 may engage the inner surface of the glass 19 for wiping-like action, or it may be just out of engagement therewith and the splral groove in said holder will keep the heating element directly out of enga ement with the glass, but closely positione in respect thereto.

As one means for automatically operating the improved wind shield cleaner, the following driving connections are provided; a pinion 45, keyed to the rock shaft 22, intermeshing rack 46, connectin rod 47, crank actuating wheel 48 and a exible shaft 49 having on one end a pinion 50 which meshes with a gear 51 secured to the member of the universal joint 17 on the engine shaft 15. The other end of the flexible shaft 49 is connected, at will, to the wheel 48 by a cone clutch 52, and the connecting rod 47 is attached to a wrist pin 53 on said wheel and connects the rack 46 thereto. The wheel 48 is keyed to ashaft 54 to whichI the fixed member of the clutch 52 is keyed and on which the movable member of said clutch is free to move axially into and out of engagement with said fixed member. The movable member of the clutch 52 is rovided with a long sleeve-like hub 55, to w 'ch the flexible shaft 49 is directly secured, and

which hub 55 is journaled in one end of a casing 56 and one end of the shaft 54 is journaled in said hub. The other end of the he clips 38 are made of relativelyy shaft 54 is journaled in a two-part housing 57 in which the inion 45, rack 46, connecthousing 57 may be injected therein throughl an oil hole 58 normally closed by a screw plug 59. The sections of the housing 57 are connected by screws 60 and said housing is detachably secured to the upper member of the frame 18 by a pair of nutequipped bolts 61 which extend through aligned bores in said housing and frame.- The side of the housing 57, at the frame 18, is longitudinally grooved at 62 to receive said frame, whic 1s round in cross-section, and if the frame is square or oval in'cross-section, the housing 57 will have two-point contactl therewith at the groove 62. The casing 56 is detachably secured to the housin 57 by screw threads, as indicated at 63. o move the movable member of the cone clutch 48 into aI releasing position, there is provided a shipper lever 64 which works through a slot 65 formed in the casing 56 and havin a lateral extension 66, which, when sai lever is moved therein, locks the same in osition to hold said movable clutch memer in an inoperative `osition. The lead kwires 41 and 42, outwar of the carrier arm 21, are extended through eyes 67 formed with said arm to hold the same, and through clips 68 attached to the frame 18, and which cli s also'hold the flexible shaft 49.

`rom the above description, it is evident that, when the cone cluth 52 is set, the rock shaft 22 will be operated from the engine shaft 15 and thereby oscillate the carrier arms 20 and 21 in the plane of the glass 19,

as indicated in Fig. 1, and at which time, the

wiper blade 28 will keep the outer face of.

the glass 19 free from rain, sleet or snow, and the heating element 34 will heat that portion of the glass 19, engaged by the wiper blade 28, sufiiciently to prevent freezing and the accumulation of steam,moisture and frost. To stop the action of the wind shield cleaner, it is only, necessary to move the shipper lever 64 into the slot extension 66 to release the clutch, andy by opening the switch 43 to cut off the current from the batte 40 to the heating element 34.v

In igs. 11 and 12, hand operated 'means is shown forrocking vthe shaft 22 and which means includes a hand crank 69 eyed to the rock shaft 22. In this form of wlnd shield cleaners,A all of the driving connections, from thefrock shaft 22 to the engine shaft 15, together with the casing 56 and housin 57 are dis ensed with, and to afford a ating for t e rock shaft 22, in placframe18, a bearing 7() held` in position by nut-equipped bolts 71.

While the invention is shown as described as la cleaner for wind shields, the same is well adapted for use lin connection `with street car and other Windows, and the term Wind shield is here used in a broad sense to cover any kind of a window.

In place of operating the vwind shield wiper from the engineshaft, as shown, a motor or other power-actuated means may be provided if found more desirable.

lVhat We claim is:

l. A Windshield cleanerv comprising op .posed wipers adapted to engage opposite sides of the Windshield glass, means for heating one of the wipers, said Wipers being connnected and adapted to be mounted to swing simultaneously.

2. A windshield cleaner comprising a pad .adapted to move across one face of the shield,' an electric heater of similar conformation adapted to move over a portion of the other face, similar in extent to that cleaned by said pad, and means connecting said pad and heater whereby they are caused to move simultaneously, substantially as set forth. y

3. The structure defined in claim 2 in fur.-

ther combination With a deflector for the heating element.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

ICHN A. NORDIN. FRED PFAFF. 

